# Animal Farm by George Orwell (aka Eric Arthur Blair)



## mewtini

So! Animal Farm is an allegory of the Soviet Union before and during Joseph Stalin's rule. A bunch of animals represent key figures in the Union. A hog/pig/boar/whatever is Stalin. It is the best book I've ever read. Has anyone else read this? It was blacklisted in Russia for some understandable reasons... Did anyone remember that I'm 9? And I read this. Oh and the story is told on a 8 year old level but most people are far into junior high before they read it for class. That's what my mom says, I don't go to brick and mortar school; I am cyberschooled. On computer. And in 6th grade. Don't be fooled by the book's young sounding title! If you like the Soviet Union and complaining about Stalin, then you will prolly like this.


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## Noctowl

I haven't read it yet (it not in my college libary for some reason) but I did see the movie and found it very good.


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## Murkrow

I read it with my class about five years ago but I should really read it again since I can barely remember much of it.


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## mewtini

Rasrap Smurf said:


> I read it with my class about five years ago but I should really read it again since I can barely remember much of it.


I want to read 1984... we have a copy of it, but it is very old and is falling apart...I like Orwell. I had no idea that anyone would reply to this. Maybe because I don't think i will have to read this for high school. Then, I dont know if my cyberschool would work like that... it could.


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## Tailsy

Eh, read it once, found it... okay. Not the best thing I've ever read. I don't like George Orwell's fiction works (never read his non-fiction, though) at all. They're very bland and don't seem to have all that much to say beyond the obvious.


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## mewtini

I want to read 1984... we have a copy of it, but it is very old and is falling apart...I like Orwell. I had no idea that anyone would reply to this. Maybe because I don't think i will have to read this for high school. Then, I dont know if my cyberschool would work like that... it could





> I haven't read it yet (it not in my college libary for some reason) but I did see the movie and found it very good.





> Eh, read it once, found it... okay. Not the best thing I've ever read. I don't like George Orwell's fiction works (never read his non-fiction, though) at all. They're very bland and don't seem to have all that much to say beyond the obvious.


EDIT: I've heard that the movie is a bit different. I know it's a movie too, but haven't seen it. I should go on YouTube and see if they have the movie in parts...that's how I saw Sky Warrior. Not good. Off topic: Bachuru-I mean Butterfree's analysis of Sky Warrior was something I agreed with. Same for Spell of the Unown. Her personality intrigues me. That is why I got so happy on my thread in Forum Help when I got to chat with her. I like people that like to anaylze things. I didn't know I could talk about personality like that!EDIT IN RESPONSE TO APPLEJACK: I think I was just glad that there was an entertaining book that was anti-Soviet.EDIT 3: *thinks of Cirrus and Applejack* Hey. Did anyone notice that a portion of the mods are ponyheads? This isn't right...don't expect me to change. Mewtini is my symbol. Or actually, I am a Mewtini. Heheh.


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## Aobaru

Mewtini said:


> Oh and the story is told on a 8 year old level but most people are far into junior high before they read it for class.


BUT you have to remember the story is an allegory. Yes it's all well and good reading about animals and their struggles to build a farm and everything, but, on a higher level, it's a metaphor about all that is wrong with Stalinism (which, according to my research, is communism with totalitarian tendencies).

Interestingly, Orwell himself was a democratic socialist.


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## Karkat Vantas

About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.

You're not going to be reading that book for a _looong_ time.

(Also, recommending Animal Farm in a literature thread is akin to making a thread where you tell everyone about this great band called the Beatles that everyone ought to check out.)


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## mewtini

That is my point. It's pretty much a way to tell kids about the evils of the Soviets. Well, that's what I think.
EDIT TO KARKAT: I didn't think anything of that it was common jr. high reading. I thought that no one would heard of it, or read it then forgotten.


> About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.
> 
> You're not going to be reading that book for a looong time.


Oh yes I will. *picks up book* *book spine breaks and all pages fall out* or, maybe not.
NOTE: NO BOOKS WERE HARMED IN THIS PLAY


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## Karkat Vantas

Mewtini said:


> That is my point. It's pretty much a way to tell kids about the evils of the Soviets. Well, that's what I think.


Somebody just got NINJA'D. Buuuuuuuuurn.

I think someone posted earlier that up until recent years books about animals were mainly used as allegory, and that Animal Farm was treated solely as adult fiction during its time.

Although it begs the question-- who would read Orwell to their children?


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## Zeph

Mewtini said:


> That is my point. It's pretty much a way to tell kids about the evils of the Soviets. Well, that's what I think.
> EDIT TO KARKAT: I didn't think anything of that it was common jr. high reading. I thought that no one would heard of it, or read it then forgotten.


Well, not really. The idea of the book is that "Communism could be great, but sadly, in practice, it isn't", _not_ "Communism is bad, _bad, BAD!_"

And yeah, Animal Farm _is_ a really famous book... It's difficult to NOT have heard of it, really.


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## mewtini

Well, I haven't existed for as long as you all have. I know nothing of how famous it is. I'm a little isolated, being cyberschooled and seeing my friends once a week at Awana. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't get the communism not being bad bad bad. I only heard of it and only got it for a conference with my cyberschoolmates (over Elluminate). However, I didn't get to attend that conference since I was in the wrong grade (I'm in 6th although I'm 9, and the class was Literature Analysis, which is 7th.) EDIT: 





> Although it begs the question-- who would read Orwell to their children?


I don't know. Parents like mine who are trying to protect me from the brainwashing that the society does to us to make us believe that we have progress.


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## Whirlpool

Wait, did you only hear about communism or Animal Farm at a conference? I'm guessing the latter, but.

..."brainwashing that society does to make us believe that we have progress"? What do you mean by that?


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ

Mewtini said:


> So! Animal Farm is an allegory of the Soviet Union before and during Joseph Stalin's rule. A bunch of animals represent key figures in the Union. A hog/pig/boar/whatever is Stalin.


It is a good book but tbh it would be better to learn which character is which first :/ the old boar who dies in the beginning is Marx, Napoleon (who is a pig) is Stalin, Snowball (pig) is Trotsky, Squealer (pig) is the whole propaganda office (Pravda etc) and so on.
I did find it enjoyable when I read it, a few years ago.



Karkat Vantas said:


> About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.
> 
> You're not going to be reading that book for a _looong_ time.


When I read it (a while ago, admittedly), the scene didn't strike me as at all pornographic or anything? Doesn't Orwell just sort of mention how awesome Julia is and then there's a discrete fade? I mean yeah Winston and Julia spend a fair amount of time just chilling in bed later on but I don't think it's anything wrong.

I think nine-year-olds wouldn't really get all the points the story is making (considering even many adults can't) but the sexual content isn't anything to write home about. Though I don't know, maybe in the US vaguely mentioning sex in the general vicinity of a child is akin to rape.



Mewtini said:


> EDIT:
> I don't know. Parents like mine who are trying to protect me from the brainwashing that the society does to us to make us believe that we have progress.


In all honesty considering you describe yourself as 'isolated', the fact that you're homeschooled and the fact that your parents have apparently not really explained Communism and Stalinism properly (a must for real enjoyment of the book), it seems like they're trying to protect you from society a little too much.
Which is a shame, because it's where we all live. It is far better to be confronted with it head-on.


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## opaltiger

Orwell is vastly overrated (I say this having read only Nineteen Eighty-Four, admittedly). Animal Farm is one of those books I don't really feel the need to read because I think I know exactly what it will be like and what I will get from it.


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## mewtini

Vladimir Putin's LJ said:


> In all honesty considering you describe yourself as 'isolated', the fact that you're homeschooled and the fact that your parents have apparently not really explained Communism and Stalinism properly (a must for real enjoyment of the book), it seems like they're trying to protect you from society a little too much.
> Which is a shame, because it's where we all live. It is far better to be confronted with it head-on.


Sigh. *slaps head* I don't think I got my point across clearly. Be ready for long post. The last time I ever was learning about the world history was last school year. I forget after that. Besides, I never paid attention. Now, I'm stuck doing U.S. History. It's not their fault that I didn't fully understand it; they let me do my online lessons alone ever since I could read, and they helped me time to time. I used to know Stalinism and Communism really well, but I didn't give a care to them. Therefore, I forgot 'em. They are mostly trying to expose me, yet not let me get brainwashed. Did that make sense? I know what you mean, but I disagree. You would have to know us personally to understand. I can't explain well enough using letters.


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## Superbird

Animal Farm: Seen a cartoon movie, know the general plot (very general)

1984: BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. That is all.

Also, I found Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury) to be vastly similar to 1984. Maybe it's just me, but. I recommend that as well.


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## Byrus

I've only watched the cartoon of animal farm someone uploaded onto youtube. Some nice animation on it too. It didn't really motivate me to read the book though. 



Karkat Vantas said:


> About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.
> 
> You're not going to be reading that book for a _looong_ time.
> 
> (Also, recommending Animal Farm in a literature thread is akin to making a thread where you tell everyone about this great band called the Beatles that everyone ought to check out.)


 I thought the scenes of Winston getting tortured would have been a lot more disturbing than a consensual sex scene... it's not like Orwell goes into smutty fanfiction detail on it anyway. 

I really love the concept of 1984, but I thought the book kinda dragged a bit.


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## opaltiger

> Also, I found Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury) to be vastly similar to 1984. Maybe it's just me, but. I recommend that as well.


All dystopian novels are broadly similar. That's not exactly surprising; individual novels are set apart by their particulars.

I will stop now. I could spend a lot of time going on about dystopian fiction. :D

Mewtini: important question. Do you know who Marx and Engels were?


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## Dannichu

Animal Farm was, I think, the first 'proper' classic I read, and I really enjoyed it. I was too young to really understand what was going on - I was only dimly aware of the Russian Revolution at the time, but having read the book made learning about the RR easier, because I could go "ooooh so the Kulaks were the _chickens_" and get strange looks form everyone else doing GCSE History.



opaltiger said:


> Do you know who Marx and Engels were?


So Marx was like "COMMUNISM HELLZ YEAH \o/"
And Engels was all "...yes dear."

One day I will draw a picture book of their epic adventures.


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## Flareth

I haven't read that. I think we were supposed to read it in 9th grade (It was either Animal Farm or 1984), but we didn't have enough time to. I believe i have it...I should pick it up.


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## Zora of Termina

Dannichu said:


> So Marx was like "COMMUNISM HELLZ YEAH \o/"
> And Engels was all "...yes dear."
> 
> One day I will draw a picture book of their epic adventures.


This would be an amazing picture book and I would buy the _shit_ out of it.


More to the point, I... have not read this! Not even for school. Then again I never did favor Orwell's writing. so.


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## Karkat Vantas

Vladimir Putin's LJ said:


> When I read it (a while ago, admittedly), the scene didn't strike me as at all pornographic or anything? Doesn't Orwell just sort of mention how awesome Julia is and then there's a discrete fade? I mean yeah Winston and Julia spend a fair amount of time just chilling in bed later on but I don't think it's anything wrong.
> 
> I think nine-year-olds wouldn't really get all the points the story is making (considering even many adults can't) but the sexual content isn't anything to write home about. Though I don't know, maybe in the US vaguely mentioning sex in the general vicinity of a child is akin to rape.


"The more men you've had, the more I love you"?

In the US, from what I've observed, polygamy is serious business moreso than sex. (See: Monica Lewinsky) It's taboo to show sex in the media, yeah, but I see sluts everywhere in the city and you can't walk two blocks in Manhattan without seeing a taxi advertising the "Flashdancer's Gentlemen's Club".

Either way, it means that the closest you're ever getting to dystopian fiction in an American junior high class is The Giver.

Not like it makes a difference-- once you've read 1984, you've read pretty much every dystopian fiction book to come afterwards. Especially now; since the Hunger Games, YA has been steadily shifting towards dystopia, by which I mean rubbish with the basic message of "BIG BROTHER IS BAD!!!"

The best dystopian book of the last decade is by far MT Anderson's Feed... have any of you read it? It's really underrated imo. Uglies is also pretty good from what I've heard.

I c ould also go on for hours abouot dystopian fiction.


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## opaltiger

> Not like it makes a difference-- once you've read 1984, you've read pretty much every dystopian fiction book to come afterwards.


Ignoring the fact that the best dystopian fiction predates Nineteen Eighty-Four, this is simply not true. The Handmaid's Tale? The Dispossessed, arguably? These books are not at all like Nineteen Eighty-Four.


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## Karkat Vantas

I'm not saying every book to come afterwards is like 1984, but it pretty much is the modern template for a dystopian fiction book.


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## Minish

Karkat Vantas said:


> I'm not saying every book to come afterwards is like 1984, but it pretty much is the modern template for a dystopian fiction book.


How is it? Would you say that Lord of the Rings is the modern template for a fantasy novel?

Anyway, I was forced to study Animal Farm years ago, and found it relatively interesting, I guess, but it was not a lot of fun to constantly analyse. I remember liking Snowball. :O


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## mewtini

You DO know that Snowball was also corrupted by power, right Cirrus? (We share b-days. March 28. Yahoo!)


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## Autumn

Mewtini said:


> You DO know that Snowball was also corrupted by power, right Cirrus?


doesn't mean you can't like him. I liked Snowball too. :o


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## Butterfree

The great thing about fictional characters is that you can like them even when they're utterly unlikeable! :O


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## mewtini

I know that, Bachuru(o.O) and Polymetric. I'm just pointing out, he's not the good guy either. But he's cute. :D(I know I can use smilies, I just want to use this instead!)


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## Minish

Mewtini said:


> You DO know that Snowball was also corrupted by power, right Cirrus? (We share b-days. March 28. Yahoo!)


The characters' corruption by power was the topic for about a hundred essays I did, so yes, I was aware. But as Butterchuru says, you don't have to just like the 'good guys'!


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## mewtini

Cirrus said:


> The characters' corruption by power was the topic for about a hundred essays I did, so yes, I was aware. But as Butterchuru says, you don't have to just like the 'good guys'!


Oh, no, no, I like Snowball too. If I knew that you knew they both were corrupted, I wouldn't have said anything. I was just pointing out. Anyway, apparently I didn't see that you are like 17.


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## Karkat Vantas

Cirrus said:


> How is it? Would you say that Lord of the Rings is the modern template for a fantasy novel?


Template was a bad choice of word... maybe theme would have been a beter word. Thematically, I think 99% of all dystopian fiction published today has the basic theme of "SURVEILLANCE IS BAD". Which is kind of funny since 1984 wasn't really about the terrors of surveillance, but okay, I guess it's relevant!


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## Music Dragon

Karkat Vantas said:


> Template was a bad choice of word... maybe theme would have been a beter word. Thematically, I think 99% of all dystopian fiction published today has the basic theme of "SURVEILLANCE IS BAD". Which is kind of funny since 1984 wasn't really about the terrors of surveillance, but okay, I guess it's relevant!


The Matrix? Terminator? The Road? Oryx and Crake? Shades of Grey? I Am Legend? Blindness? Planet of the Apes?


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## mewtini

Whirlpool said:


> Wait, did you only hear about communism or Animal Farm at a conference? I'm guessing the latter, but.
> 
> ..."brainwashing that society does to make us believe that we have progress"? What do you mean by that?


Well. The first question. I was looking through the list of books they were gonna have for conference, and one was Animal Farm. But I didn't do the actual conference, since I was low by one grade level. Dx And the second. That was a subtle reference to a summary I saw on Wikipedia, talking about how the animals are psychologically conditioned to believe that things are progressing, even though they are much, MUCH worse. Not quoted. Sorry I didn't reply earlier.


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## Elliekat

Haha, we JUST had a test on this book in my English class. I can't decide whether it or 1984 was creepier.

Also BOXER NEVER GETS SENT TO THE FACTORY NAPOLEON WAS FINALLY TELLING THE TRUTH SOB


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## Dannichu

Elliekat said:


> Haha, we JUST had a test on this book in my English class. I can't decide whether it or 1984 was creepier.
> 
> Also BOXER NEVER GETS SENT TO THE FACTORY NAPOLEON WAS FINALLY TELLING THE TRUTH SOB


Oh god, Boxer being sent to the glue factory _traumatised_ me. ;;


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## PK

I read this book in my english class last year and it was actually quite enjoyable and OH MY GOD BOXER THE TEARS FLOW FOREVER *FUCK YOU NAPOLEON GO EAT YOUR APPLES*


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## Ruby

Mewtini is one awesome nine-year-old.



Applejack said:


> Eh, read it once, found it... okay. Not the best thing I've ever read. I don't like George Orwell's fiction works (never read his non-fiction, though) at all. They're very bland and don't seem to have all that much to say beyond the obvious.


The problem is that Orwell's fiction works are basically just an extension of his non-fiction.  He became temperamentally incapable of writing books that serve a literary purpose before a political one.  That's why his writing style is non-literary and plain even in _1984_, which is supposedly a science-fiction novel.  I think he felt that whenever he was addressing a large audience, it was wrong _not_ to say something political.  And if _1984_ and _Animal Farm_ fall short as literature, they have still been unbelievably successful from a political point of view.  Orwell's capacity as a writer has to be given some credit for that.  Otherwise it's like evaluating a writer of comedy and ignoring whether he makes people laugh.   



Bachuru said:


> The great thing about fictional characters is that you can like them even when they're utterly unlikeable! :O


Now the contents of Butterfree's Livejournal are overflowing on to other websites!


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## bulbasaur

...Does anyone find the thought of pigs wearing clothes standing on two legs disturbing?


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## TANMAC43

Wow, I just did a book report on this!


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## Storm Earth and Fire

I have read Animal Farm and 1984, and I have to say I enjoyed 1984 more. However, my favorite book by Orwell is Homage to Catalonia. I dunno, just resonated more to me than his fiction works.


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## Worst Username Ever

I first read the book when I was 9 or 10.

Recently read it again. It was okay.


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## Saith

We did this book in my English class like, two years ago.
Well I mean, we only read a couple chapters before OHMAHGAWD GCSES! revision came upon us, so...

I'm guessing life _doesn't_ get better on the farm? Q.Q


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## Tailsy

Ruby said:


> The problem is that Orwell's fiction works are basically just an extension of his non-fiction.  He became temperamentally incapable of writing books that serve a literary purpose before a political one.  That's why his writing style is non-literary and plain even in _1984_, which is supposedly a science-fiction novel.  I think he felt that whenever he was addressing a large audience, it was wrong _not_ to say something political.  And if _1984_ and _Animal Farm_ fall short as literature, they have still been unbelievably successful from a political point of view.  Orwell's capacity as a writer has to be given some credit for that.  Otherwise it's like evaluating a writer of comedy and ignoring whether he makes people laugh.


Yeah, but that doesn't defeat the point that his books are really boring and not especially well-written. Which was pretty much what I was saying. The politics of his novels are interesting, but nothing else is, which really ruins my enjoyment of them.


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## Aobaru

Applejack said:


> Yeah, but that doesn't defeat the point that his books are really boring and not especially well-written. Which was pretty much what I was saying. The politics of his novels are interesting, but nothing else is, which really ruins my enjoyment of them.


I would politely disagree with you. Although _Animal Farm_ isn't a particularly challenging novel, I find the story incredibly interesting.


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## Ruby

Applejack said:


> Yeah, but that doesn't defeat the point that his books are really boring and not especially well-written.


I think I only half agree with that.  So far as the actual _prose_ is concerned, his books are wonderfully written, especially _Animal Farm_.  Prose was Orwell's greatest talent, and his style of writing has dated incredibly slowly.  But at the same time, I can see why someone might think that his _kind_ of prose, wonderful though it is, is more suitable for non-fiction than for novels.  (Now, if it's actually his plots you dislike, or his characterization, or something purely novelistic like that, I can't argue with you there.)


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## Tailsy

Ruby said:


> I think I only half agree with that.  So far as the actual _prose_ is concerned, his books are wonderfully written, especially _Animal Farm_.  Prose was Orwell's greatest talent, and his style of writing has dated incredibly slowly.  But at the same time, I can see why someone might think that his _kind_ of prose, wonderful though it is, is more suitable for non-fiction than for novels.  (Now, if it's actually his plots you dislike, or his characterization, or something purely novelistic like that, I can't argue with you there.)


Well, of course it's more suited to non-fiction - and I personally don't find that that style translates very well to fiction. I am fully aware that other people think otherwise and okay, I can understand why, but I find it tedious to get through. I re-read Animal Farm recently - since I'd read it when I was like twelve and I supposed that maybe it was just me not 'getting' it - but I didn't find it any more interesting than I had before. I don't really _feel_ anything from his descriptions, which kind of sounds weird, but that kind of thing really puts me off a person's writing.

(I also don't like dystopian novels in general, but you know.)


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## Ruby

Well, fair enough, I suppose.  Personally I find _Animal Farm_ entertaining and _1984_ to be the boring one.  You have to remember that nearly all of Orwell's writing is designed to be readable by oppressed barely literate proletarians 400 years from now.  :/


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## Tailsy

I don't like either! And I don't care about those hypothetical future people. >:(!


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